Tea Basics - Types of Teas

There are many different types of teas. Different varieties have different colors, textures, tastes, smells, and properties.  This article will give you basic information on the different types of teas in terms of color.

Green
Over the last few years, green tea has become very popular.  These tea leaves are unoxidized and fermented.  The leaves are dried as soon as they are picked from the plant.  If they are not dried, then the enzymes will take away the green color.
There are many different types of teas, for example Chinese and Japanese green teas, each of which have many varietals.

Brewing different types of tea differs slightly between varietals.  When making green tea, the water should be hot but not boiling.  The tea will taste bitter if the water temperature is too high. 

Black
Black tea has long been the tea of choice for Americans.  In fact, it is one of the most popular type of tea throughout the world.  These tea leaves have been allowed to wilt unlike their green counterparts.  They are oxidized as well as fermented. 

One of the main things that differentiates black tea is that it offers more caffeine than other types.  Generally, you will need to steep these leaves for a longer period of time depending on the exact temperature of the water and the age of the leaves.

Oolong
Oolong is also known as blue tea.  These leaves are more mature than green leaves as they have been semi-fermented.  This also means that the amount of caffeine this type of tea offers is less than black tea, but a bit more than green.  People enjoy drinking oolong tea because of the flowery undertones it delivers.  There is also a wide range of flavors to choose from.

White
Our ancestors have been drinking white tea for a very long time.  Although it has been around for a very long time, not much of it has been produced.  This is because these types of teas can only be made using unopened buds of certain Chinese tea plants. When making this tea, you can watch the delicate bud of the plant open as it steeps – a fun experience to share with guests or on special occasions.

Those who get the experience of drinking this type of tea will notice that it's much sweeter than other varieties.  With limited production, you can also expect to pay a bit more money for the luxury of drinking white tea.

Herbal
Something should also be said about herbal tea.  Although people refer to it as tea, it really isn't since it's not made from the leaves of a tea plant.  Other things like flowers or herbs will be steeped in water instead of true tea leaves.  The resulting beverages are quite tasty though, and some people claim that different herbal teas have medicinal properties.